Michael Becker / FOXWe ran into American Idol newcomer Kara DioGuardi at a Grammys party and chatted up the fourth judge about what it was really like walking into a lair filled with hair products, harsh words and spacey judges.
K speaks her mind, maybe not as bluntly as Simon, but had no trouble talkin' Idol difficulty and Jessica Simpson's new look.
We asked DioGuardi, who seems like such a confident person, if she was nervous at all joining the Idol crew.
"It was really hard. It was a huge show, and [the judges] are very well-known. It wasn't a broken panel; I didn't really have to fix anything. I could have come in and messed it all up, so I had that pressure. I just tried to be myself and respect these three great people who made the show so successful."
In fact, this gal seems too normal for A.I., so we were curious to know her thoughts on the double standards in the Biz to look a certain way, à la Simpson.
"When you look at someone like Jessica, I don't know if she gained weight, but it's all I've heard about," chimed DioGuardi, as she dished it like it is. "I'm looking for someone with a great voice, but if someone is 50 pounds overweight, I have to tell them the reality—that it might hold them back."
We pressed on to see if K thought it was newsworthy when a star gains weight.
"I think what's newsworthy is—how is our country going to turn around all of the problems we have? Jessica Simpson and all of this nonsense means nothing. We should be really worrying about how to take care of our people."
Touché Kar, must fess we're bigger fans of this gal after meeting her in person. We're enjoying judge No. 4 so far. What about you all?
—Additional reporting by Taryn Ryder